Sharif University of Technology
Engineering is the practical application of scientific knowledge for the benefit of society. This takes many forms, such as the development of new processes and products, improvement of existing technology and design of structures and machines. To be successful in the profession, an engineer must have a firm understanding of the scientific principles underlying the discipline, sufficient mathematical training to manipulate these principles and the ability to apply knowledge to the problem at hand.
The common feature of all engineering endeavors is scientific problem solving. An engineer confronted with a problem uses knowledge and intuition systematically to determine the best solution to the predicament. To meet the contemporary challenge of a constantly changing technological society, an engineer must have a strong background in the fundamentals of his discipline. The basic philosophy of Sharif University of Technology (SUT) is to provide such a scientifically-oriented education for its students.
The fundamental aims of Sharif University of Technology are three. The first is the creation of an institution where students can be instructed in both theoretical and applied sciences with special emphasis on the particular needs of our society. The second is to teach students the advanced knowledge and techniques required to participate in the fields of engineering and technology and to cultivate them into creative engineers, good scientists and innovative technologists. The third is to educate engineers who are ready to be employed, who contribute significantly to their jobs, who have a strong sense of public responsibility and a desire to continue to learn. Particular emphasis is placed on the promotion of multi-disciplinary research at the graduate and doctoral levels.
SUT is one of the largest engineering schools in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was established in 1966 under the name of Aryarmehr University of Technology and, at that time, there were 54 faculty members and a total of 412 students who were selected by national examination. In 1980, the university was renamed Sharif University of Technology. SUT now has a total of 300 full-time faculty members, approximately 430 part-time faculty members and a student body of about 8,000.
Originally, the 20 hectare university campus housed four departments; Electrical, Metallurgical, Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry. Since then, SUT has expanded its services until, today, it comprises ten different departments in science and engineering. All departments offer B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs.
SUT has established several research centers. These centers, while maintaining their own separate identities, co-exist within the university system. This arrangement gives individual researchers the opportunity and flexibility to conduct research while establishing a working relationship between the university and industry. There are also computer, language, Islamic studies, graphics, workshop and physical education centers on campus, as well as a large central library.
SUT also includes facilities such as the Office of International and Scientific Cooperation (OISC), which is responsible for establishing and maintaining relations with academic and scientific institutions abroad and for organizing events related to the advancement of scientific cooperation. OISC is in charge of the preparation and global distribution of university publications in English and Farsi.
SUT is also a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Sharif University of Technology has earned a respected reputation and rank among institutes of higher learning in the Middle East. It strives to continue improving its standards.
